American Airlines' Innovative New Booking Tool Shows Flights Based On Experience, Not Location

Have you ever been in the midst of trip-planning and found yourself completely lost? Classic destinations are out of budget for you, and newer hotspots are just too crowded. And unfortunately, with the advent of social media, it seems like there are no more hidden gems. Places that were once untouched go viral from TV shows, movies, and influencers — and suddenly, prices rise dramatically, and they're descended upon by flocks of eager tourists desperate to take the exact same photos they saw online. A key example is Dubrovnik in Croatia, popularized by its appearance in the "Star Wars" film franchise and the "Game of Thrones" series — it's now one of the most beautiful destinations in the world, sadly ruined by overtourism. But sometimes digital technology can be used for good — there are platforms that can help you find affordable vacations and visit lesser-known destinations you may not have previously considered. One such example is American Airlines' innovative new booking tool.

This travel aggregator is similar to Google Flight Deals, another new AI tool that helps you find vacations customized to your every whim and fantasy, in that it trades airport codes for desires. So, instead of YYZ and LAX, you'll type in prompts such as, "I'd like to go on a five-day snowboarding trip for under $1,000." Then, you'll wait and see what is generated — and you may be surprised! While you might assume that only domestic results would appear in this price range, you could find yourself booking a trip to an internationally located winter wonderland that's cheaper than expected. And with flights getting more and more expensive, this is an excellent way to ensure that your vacation is within budget. All results are sorted by price, allowing you to find the most affordable option for the experience you want.

This AI-powered search engine is ideal for the cost-conscious, along with curious and open-minded travelers — you'll likely see some familiar places in the results, but the best ones may be those you wouldn't have expected. It responds to natural language, so you can write a prompt the way you would type a text message. Explain the kind of experience you're looking to have (camping or fishing trip, bachelorette party, Christmas holiday), along with your dates, exact or rough ("after Easter," "in November," "for one week"). You can even include the type of stay (all-inclusive resort, five-star hotel, backpackers' hostel). While the tool only searches for flights, the more information it has, the more it can refine the search. Ensure that you write the amount you're aiming to spend, too — it'll still generate some flights that are higher than this price (tagged with "over budget") to provide you with more options, but inputting your budget will produce more accurate results.

As of October 2025, the search engine is in the trial phase, while developers continue to check for bugs and other issues and receive data from testers. It can be used by around 50% of visitors to American Airlines' website — but when it is fully launched, it will be available on the app as well as to all website users (no set date announced). Results will be shown for American Airlines flights, along with those from its partner airlines, which together provide a wide range of destinations (over 350 airports within six continents). So when it rolls out for you, give it a try — you might end up with some pleasantly-surprising new locales for your next vacation, and it could be one of the most effective ways to save money while booking flights.